Selective typesetting and restoring means



July 31, 1951 R. B. JOHNSON SELECTIVE TYPE SETTING AND RESTORING MEANSFiled Jan. 15, 1946 i'LlLlLll.ILILlLILIUULIULILILILILILMLILMMILUL EILULILILULIL I'llll'IlilllllllllIlIlllll numwmli 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORgm? Ream/Nam! ATTORNEY July 31, 195] R. B. JOHNSON SELECTIVE TYPESETTING AND RESTORING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1946INVENTOR R B. JOHNSON ATTORNEY July 31, 1951 R. B. JOHNSON SELECTIVETYPE SETTING AND RESTORINC MEANS Filed Jan. 15, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR REJJOHMSON IIU AhIIIIIII ll Ill llllllllllfl ATTORNEY July 31,1951 5, JOHNSON 2,562,554

SELECTIVE TYPE SETTING ANDRESTORING MEANS.

ill/1H Q g H k-\ w I q'g I INVENTOR ATTORNEY 0 Ali/7D .3

u y 1951 R. B. JOHNSON l 2,562,554

SELECTIVE TYPE SETTING AND RESTORING MEANS Filed Jan. 15, 1945 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR RB. (JOHNSON ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1951-SELECTIVE TYPESETTING AND RESTORING MEAN Reynold B. Johnson, Binghamton,N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 15, 1946,Serial No. 641,324

9 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to tabulating machines andmore particularly to improvements in the printing mechanisms therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved printingmechanism for printing alphabetic characters as well as digits, in whichthe type characters are moved into printing position and then restoredto a home or rest position, in a positive manner.

In printing machines towhich the present invention applies and of whichUnited States Patents 2,016,682 and 2,056,391 are examples, a bank ofvertically reciprocable type carriers is provided, each carrier having amultiplicity of type elements which, when the carrier is elevated, passin succession through a printing position opposite a platen. A so-calledcross-head is usually provided which in the earlier Patent 2,016,682draws the carriers upward through the medium of a spring connection.During such upward moveme'nt, which is generally at a uniform rate, adog or latch is interposed in the path of the carrier to stop it at aselected type position. Such stopping is eifected while the type carrieris in rapid motion, so that the stopping is effected with some shock dueto the sudden interruption of its upward movement.

In the later Patent 2,056,391, the type carriers are normallydisconnected from the cross-head which makes an invariablereciprocation, moving upwardly with a rapid uniform motion. During thisupward movement, the type carrier is coupled to the cross-head atdifferential times, so that it is suddenly accelerated from a restposition to the speed of movement of the crosshead. This, too, incursincidental shook which is a limiting factor to high speed operation ofsuch type of printing mechanism.

In accordance with the present invention, the single cross-head of theprior machines is replaced by a serie of separately reciprocatedcross-heads, each of which has a difierent extent of movement and movesupwardly from a rest position with gradual acceleration, reaches itslimit of movement with a gradual deceleration, comes to rest, and thenreverses its movement to accelerate slowly as it returns and deceleratesslowly again as it reaches its initial position.

Coupling devices are provided to selectively and positively couple anytype carrier to any of the cross heads, when the latter are at rest, sothat thereby the coupled carrier is moved upwardly with gradualacceleration for an extent determined by the cross-head selected andbrought to rest with gradually decelerated motion to present a typeelement at the printing position.

By providin ten such cross-heads, each carrier is positionable in anyone of ten different printing positions to print any of the ten digits.

For printing alphabetic or other characters, type elements aredisplaceable on the carrier one or more steps to present type locatedintermediate the digit type. This is effected by providing a so-calledzone bar which is diflerentially positionable in any of four verticalpositions through a separate set of four cross-heads, each of which ismovable in the same manner as the first set, each to one of fourdifferent positions, i. e. with a gradually accelerated starting andstopping motion.

With this arrangement there is provided a high speed printing mechanismin which the shock of starting and stopping the movement of the typecarriers is eliminated and quieter and smoother operation is attained.

A more specific object of the invention resides in the provision ofnovel coupling devices for connecting a type carrier to its actuatingcrosshead for positive movement thereby in either direction of movement.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 taken together and joined at the broken line across thebottom of Fig. 1 and top of Fig. 2 constitute a sectional elevationthrough the apparatus in the plane of one of the carriers.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in a type selectingposition.

Fig. 4 is a time chart showing the relative extents of movement of theseveral cross-heads and the manner of their movement during a cycle ofoperation. I

Fig. 5 is an end elevation taken substantially along the lines 5-5 ofFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, each type carrier I 0, of which there are aplurality arranged side by side as indicated in Fig. 5, is verticallyreciprocable in guide combs II and has pivoted thereon a gear l2 whichmeshes on. one side with rack teeth I 3 in a type head l4. Head I4 isslidable on carrier ID by means of blocks l5 integral withthe head andslidable in a slot IS in the carrier.

The other side of gear I! meshes with rack teeth I! in a zone bar l8,which latter is guided for vertical movement in comb guides l9 andnormally held in its upper extreme position by a spring acting on alever 2| pivoted to the bar and to a rod 22. Type head I 4 contains aplurality of type elements 23 which are movable upwardly past printingplaten 24 to present any element thereto for printing.

There is shown in Fig. 1 a diagrammatic representation of the well knownrecord card sensing mechanism comprising feed rollers 25 which moverecord card 28 past a row of sensing brushes 21 and a contact roller 28at a uniform rate, so that perforation receiving positions arranged inrows designated 9, 8, '7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 11 and 12 are sensed insuccession. A perforation in row 9 represents the digit 9, a perforationin row 8 represents the digit 8 and so on. To represent alphabetic orother characters, a vertical row is punched in one of the digit positions 9 to 2 in accompaniment with a second or zone perforation in oneof the positions 1, 0, 11 or 12. For each digit representing perforationand for each combinational perforation, there is provided a type element23 arranged on the type head and identified as indicated in the diagramat the left of the type elements in Fig. 1. Here it is noted thatbetween each digit representing type 1 to 9 there are four combinationrepresenting type the manner of whose selection will presently beexplained.

on each carrier I0 is pivoted a bell crank 30 and a latch 3| connectedtogether by a link 32. A spring 23 serves to hold the parts in thepositions shown in Fig. 1, where the end of latch 3| engages in a notchin a bell crank 34 to hold the latter in position. Below bell cram-r34is a lever 25 also pivoted on the carrier and urged in a clockwisedirection by a spring 36. When the carrier is in its rest or restoredposition as shown, the contacting ends of levers 34 and 35 are held tothe left of the right edge of carrier Hi and a depending arm of bellcrank it lies in line with a tripping pawl 31 to hold the pawl in theposition shown.

Adjacent to lever 35 are ten cross-heads separately numbered 9 to 0 withthe uppermost cross-head designated 9 lying opposite the junction oflevers 34, 85 and a line which may be identified as a base line 4|. arenested as shown and suitably guided for vertical reciprocation. Eachcross-head has a link 42 (Fig. 2) hook-shaped at its upper end andengaging a roller 42a (see Fig. 5) carried by the crosshead. The lowerend of link 42 is also hookshaped to partially encircle the rounded end43a of an arm 43 which is free to oscillate on a shaft 50. Thus, thereare ten arms 43 (Fig. 5) and each has a follower lever 44 (Fig. 2) whoseroller 45 cooperates with a pair of complementary cams 46. These cams,of which there is a differently configured pair for each lever 44, aresecured on shafts 41 driven through gears 48 from shaft 50. Shaft 50 isgeared to the card feed rollers 25 (Fig. 1) through connections notshown, so that a card 26 is fed past the brushes 21 for each revolutionof shafts 50 and 41 with the hole positions 9, 8, '7, etc. passingbrushes 21 at the same points in successive cycles as is well known.

The relative timing of the cross-heads 40 and sensing points of brushes21 is diagrammatically represented in Fig. 4, where the timing is givenfor a cycle of operation. In this diagram along the line designatedSensing Brushes 21 the points or periods in the cycle when the severalperforation positions are at the row OI The cross-heads 40 brushes 21,are indicated by short regularly spaced horizontal lines. The cross-headbase line 4| is also indicated with the 9 cross-head designated asstanding at this line at the commencement of the cycle. Between the 9and 8 sensing times the 9 cross-head gradually accelerates asrepresented by the beginning of a graph ii, and during the same periodthe 8 cross-head 40 moves up to the base line 4| where it is at restduring the 8 sensing time, and then it gradually accelerates upwardly asindicated by graph 52.

In succession thereafter, each remaining crosshead 40 moves from itsrestored position below base line 4| up to the line, arriving there andstopping during the period that the correspondingly numbered sensingposition is passing the sensing brush 21. Near the midpoint of thecycle, the several cross-heads 49 will have been elevated to differentlyspaced positions with the 9 cross-head advancing the farthest distanceand the 0 cross-head advancing the least distance. In other words, thecross-heads have fanned out from their close initial spacing in anextended spacing.

The sensing of a perforation at any of the 9 to 0 positions will cause acarrier ll associated with the columnar position of the sensing brush 21to become coupled to the related cross-head 40 and carried upwardtherewith. For example, let it be assumed that there is a perforation inthe 9 position in a card column. Then (in Fig. 1) at the 9 time acircuit is completed as indicated in a simple manner from a negativeside of a source of current, through contact roller 2|, 9 hole in thecard, brush 21, a magnet I, to positive side of the current source. Thisenergization occurs at the 9 time in the cycle (Fig. 4) when the 9cross-head 40 is at rest. As a result, magnet 55 attracts its springbiased armature 56 to shift pawl 31 to the left (Fig. 1) to rock bellcrank 30, and through link 32 rock lever ll likewise. Thereupon, springll will rock levers 34, 35 oppositely, to the position of Fig. 3, wherethey grasp the upper edge of the 9 cross-head. lever 31 then engages anotch in lever 24 to detent the parts in cross-head engaging position.It is thus seen in Fig. 3 that lever 34 is locked against clockwiserotation and its lower extremity is accordingly held in positionoverlying the left edge of crosshead 40. At the same time lever 35extends under the left edge of the crosshead where it is resilientlyheld by spring It. The crosshead is accordingly grasped by the fingersin such a manner that the carrier must move upwardly therewith in apositive manner. As the 9 crosshead 40 thereafter rises, carrier I0moves with it to the position of Fig. 3. As the carrier rises, its geari2 rolls on rack teeth 11 and as a result type head 14 is elevated attwice the rate of the carrier and to twice the extent to present the 9type element 23 in printing position opposite platen 24.

To illustrate further, assume a perforation in the 2 position in a cardcolumn. Then at the time this hole is sensed, the related cross-head 40(designated 2 Hole" in Fig. 2) will be at the base line 4| and thecircuit to magnet 55 at such time will cause coupling of the carrier tothe 2 cross-head, and thereafter will be gradually elevated thereby tothe extent of movement of this cross-head to a position where the 2 typeelement 23 is positioned for printing.

While the cross-heads are at rest in their uppermost positions'duringthe period designated Printing Time" in Fig. 4, an impression is takenfrom the presented type elements through the usual mechanism (notshown), and thereafter the cross-heads are restored as indicated in thediagram with gradual acceleration and deceleration.

Referring to Fig. 2, a bail 58 extends across through openings in thecarriers I8 and, as the cross-heads approach their home position, thisbail is elevated by a cam 60 on shaft 41, through follower bell crank BIand link 62, so that its upper edge will intercept the horizontal arm oflever 34 just before the carrier reaches its home position to rock thelevers 34, 35 out of engagement with the connected cross-head and arrestthe carrier in home position, where latch 3I will hold the levers 34, 35retracted. The lower end of link 62 is bifurcated to straddle ball 58,so that as the link is elevated, the bail moves likewise and its upperedge rises a distance in Fig. 2 to bring such edge up to the horizontalarm of lever 34. Obviously, with the bail in such upper position, as thelever 34 descends in the relative position it occupies in Fig. 3 it willstrike the elevated bail edge and be rocked back to the position of Fig.2. The period during which bail 58 is elevated is represented in Fig. 4,where it is seen that at the end of the cycle the ball is lowered, sothat the parts will be rendered responsive to the sensing of aperforation in the next cycle.

The foregoing explains the manner of opera tion of the device for theselection of the characters 9 to in response to the sensing of a singleperforation in one of the related positions of a card column. The mannerin which combinationally represented characters are selected will now beexplained. 7

Zone bar I8 (Fig. 1) has pivoted thereon a pair of cross-head engaginglevers 63, 64 held out of engaging position as shown by a pivoted latch66. The upper end of this latch is in line with a notch 31a in pawl 31so that, when magnet 55 is energized with pawl 31 in the full lineposition, latch 66 is not disturbed.

It will be noted that bell crank 30 is provided with a latchingprojection engaging the upper edge of pawl 31 to hold the pawl in itsfull line position against the tension of spring 80. Thus when magnet 55is energized in response to a hole in any card position from 9 to 1latch 38 will be rocked and latched in rocked position as explained sothat pawl 31 when subsequently retracted upon deenergization of magnet55 will be rocked clockwise by spring 88 to its upper dotted lineposition in which projection 31b will be in line with the upper end oflatch 66. If there is now a second energization of magnet 55 in responseto a hole in the 1 or 0 positions, latch 66 will be rockedcounterclockwise to release levers 63, 64 for engagement with one of thecrossheads 12.

Alongside levers 63, 64 are four cross-heads 12 designated 1, 0, 11 and12 mounted for reciprocation similarly to cross-heads 40 with the 1crosshead normally lying on what may be called a zone base line 13.Through links 14 (Fig. 2) and levers 15 these cross-heads arereciprocated by cams on shafts 41 which are similar to cams 46 butconfigured to move the cross-heads 12 as indicated by the lines 16 inFig. 4, so that each celerated downward movement for the extent ofmovement of the connected cross-head.

Such downward movement of bar I6 will turn gear I2 to raise type head I4one, two, three or four type spaces to select the combinationrepresenting type elements 23 intermediate the type selected directly bycarrier I0.

A bail 61 extending across and above pawl 31 is pivoted at 68 and haslink connection 69 with a cam follower 16. Under control of a cam N(Fig. 2) on shaft 41, bail 61 will be depressed to lower pawl 31 to itslower dotted line position of Fig. 1 wherein edge 310 of a notch in theunder side'of the pawl lies adjacent to the upper end of latch 66. Thisshifting of bail 61 and pawl 31 occurs after the 0 hole position on thecard has been sensed and before the II hole is sensed as indicated inFig. 4.

Thus if an 11 or 12 hole is sensed and magnet 55 is energized inresponse thereto, edge 31c will rock latch 66 so that levers 63, 64engage the 11 or 12 cross-head 12 for movement thereby.

These zone cross-heads 12 are held in their extreme positions during theprinting time and are then restored as indicated in Fig. 4. A bail 59connected through a link 18 and a pivoted lever 19 to follower 6I islowered under control of cam 60, so that as each pair of levers 63, 64returns to the start position, it will be retracted and relatched in thesame manner as levers 34, near the end of the cycle.

In Fig. 3 the parts are shown at the printing time with the carrier II]coupled to the 9 crosshead 48 and the zone bar I8 coupled to the 1cross-head 12 resulting in the presentation of the type element 23, withthe character assigned to the combination of 9 and 1, to the platen forprinting. As seen from Fig. 1, this involves movement of the '9representing element 23 to the platen under control of carrier I6 andthe further elevation of head I4 by the zone bar I8 four steps to bringthe lowermost type element into position.

Briefly reviewing the sequence of operations, where the card columnsensed contains only a single perforation, pawl 31 is in its full lineposition of Fig. 1 while positions 9 to 0 are sensed and a hole in anyone of these positions will result in rocking of bell crank 30 andcoupling of the bar III to the related cross-head for movement directlyto the appropriate printing position for the digits 9 to 0. During thesensing of the 11 and 12 positions pawl 31 is in its lower dotted lineposition where the pawl is out of line with bell crank 38 and thesensing of an 11 or 12 hole will cause pawl 31 to rock latch 66 throughedge 310 to couple bar I8 to the 11 or 12 cross-head 12 and through gearI2 elevate bar I4 to present the 11 or 12 type 23 to the printing line.

For combinational perforations, when the first hole is one of thepositions 9 to 2, bell crank 30 is tripped and moves up allowing pawl 31to assume its upper dotted line position, so that when the second holein either of the positions 1 or 0 is sensed, extension 31a will triplatch 66. When the second hole is in either the 11 or 12 position edge31c will trip latch 66 since at such time the pawl 31 will be in itslower dotted position.

For the combination I8, I-II, Il2, the 1 hole will trip bell crank 30with pawl 31 in full line position, and thereafter forO, latch 66 willbe tripped by projection 31b. For the 11 and 12 holes, pawl 31 will bein its lower dotted position and latch 66 will be tripped by edge 310.

For the combinations I, 0-42, the 0 hole will trip bell crank 30 withpawl 31 in full line position and thereafter pawl 31 is shifted to itslower dotted line position so that the subsequent 11 or 12 holes willcause edge 310 to trip latch 66. While there have been shown anddescribed and pointed out the fundamental novel features of theinvention as applied to a single modification, it will be understoodthat various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form anddetails of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicatedby the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a printing machine, a type bar mounted forreciprocating movement. a plurality of crossheads each movable adifferent extent in the direction of reciprocation of the type bar,means for moving each cross-head from a position of rest with gradualacceleration and advancing it to the limit of its movement with gradualdeceleration, and means for selectively coupling the type bar to any oneof said cross-heads while the cross-head is at rest, whereby the typebar will be advanced to a selected printing position under control ofthe selected cross-head.

2. In a machine of the class described having a type carrier providedwith a plurality of type elements and movable from a position of rest todifferential positions for printing from selected type elements, thecombination of a plurality of cross-heads, means for moving eachcross-head in turn to a coupling position with respect to the typecarrier and momentarily arresting the movement thereof in such position,means effective when the cross-heads are in coupling position forselectively coupling the type carrier to any one thereof, said movingmeans being effective to move the cross-heads in turn from the couplingposition with gradual acceleration each to a difierent extent, wherebythe carrier will be differentially advanced with gradually acceleratedmotion from rest position to a selected printing position.

3. In a machine of the class described having a type carrier providedwith a plurality of type element and movable from a position of rest todilferential positions for printing from selected type elements, thecombination of a plurality of parallel cross-heads normally spaced aparta predetermined distance in the direction of movement of the typecarrier, means for moving said crossheads in the same direction toultimate positions wherein they are spaced a distance apart greater thansaid predetermined distance, and means for selectively coupling thecarrier to any one of the cross-heads for movement thereby from thecarrier's rest position to the cross-heads ultimate position.

t. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which said moving meanscomprises means for starting the movement of said cross-heads each witha gradually accelerated motion.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which said moving meanscomprises means for starting the movement of said cross-heads each witha gradually accelerated motion and for stopping the movement of saidcross-heads each in its ultimate position with a gradually deceleratedmotion.

6. In an accounting machine comprising in combination a movable typecarrier having a plurality of type elements thereon, a plurality ofmoving devices for said carrier, each operable through a differentextent of movement, operating means therefor to move each device with agradually accelerated motion for part of its related extent of movement,card sensing means, and means controlled thereby for coupling thecarrier to a selected one of said devices for movement thereby to therelated extent.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 in which the coupling means isarranged for engaging the selected moving devices for positive movementthereby.

8. In a machine of the class described, a type carrier movable from arest position to a printing position, a type head comprising a pluralityof groups of type slidably carried by said carrier, a first plurality ofmoving devices for said carrier, a second plurality of moving devicesfor said type head, each of the first named moving devices beingoperable through a different extent of movement, each of the secondnamed moving devices being also operable through different extents ofmovement, operating means for the moving devices to move each devicewith a gradually accelerated motion for part of its extent of movement,means for selectively coupling said carrier to one of the said firstdevices and further coupling means for selectively coupling the typehead to one of said second moving devices whereby a selected typeelement on the type head will be positioned for printing,

9. The invention set forth in claim 8 in which means is provided forcausing the two coupling means to be operated in succession.

REYNOLD B. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,016,682 Mills Oct. 8, 19352,056,391 Daly Oct. 6, 1936 2,076,713 Ford Apr. 13, 1937 2,150,218 GrayMar. 14, 1939 2,165,260 Herman July 11, 1939 2,181,996 Knutson Dec. 5,1939 2,288,826 Mills July 7, 1942 2,297,803 Scheerer Oct. 6, 19422,399,724 Dilling May 7, 1946

